Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Nov 12: Legislation moving through Congress to end the longest government shutdown in US history has sparked political controversy after it was revealed that the bill also includes a clause allowing eight Republican senators to seek compensation over alleged privacy violations linked to the Biden administration’s investigation into the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.

The bill, passed by the Senate on Monday, contains a retroactive provision that makes it illegal, in most cases, to obtain a senator’s phone data without prior disclosure. It allows affected lawmakers to sue the Department of Justice (DOJ) for $500,000 per violation, along with attorneys’ fees and court costs.

Those eligible to benefit from the clause include Senators Marsha Blackburn, Lindsey Graham, Bill Hagerty, Josh Hawley, Dan Sullivan, Tommy Tuberville, Ron Johnson, and Cynthia Lummis—all of whom voted in favour of the legislation.

Senator Marsha Blackburn said in a statement, “We will not rest until justice is served and those who were involved in this weaponization of government are held accountable.”

The phone records in question were reportedly subpoenaed by Special Counsel Jack Smith as part of his probe into President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Although Trump was charged in the case, it never went to trial and was later dropped after he won the 2024 presidential election, with Smith citing the Justice Department’s policy against prosecuting a sitting president.

Smith, however, stated in his closing report that the evidence collected would likely have been sufficient to convict Trump at trial.

The bill has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats, who claim the provision unfairly benefits certain Republicans at taxpayer expense.

“Not a cent for health care, but Republicans wrote in a corrupt cash bonus of at least $500k each,” Democratic Senator Patty Murray wrote on social media.

Meanwhile, several senators have demanded details from major telecom providers — AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile — regarding the extent of data they handed over to investigators during the January 6 probe.

If signed into law, the measure would not only reopen government operations but also mark a new flashpoint in the ongoing debate over privacy rights, political accountability, and the limits of executive power in the United States.